Sumlin working overtime trying to keep Manziel, Aggies in check

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel savors the moment after throwing one of his three touchdown passes during his second-half stint against Rice on Saturday at Kyle Field. Manziel later was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting the Owls.

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel savors the moment after...

COLLEGE STATION - He was benched in the first half because of an agreement between Texas A&M and the NCAA.

He was benched late in the fourth quarter by Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin.

In between …

Actually, there is no in between with Johnny Manziel. You either love him or you don't, sometimes within the same half, game, day, week, etc.

But no matter how you feel at any given time, one thing is certain: It's always about him.

Such was the case Saturday at Kyle Field, where the Aggies beat a game Rice team 52-31. The 28-point underdogs scored first, led 14-7 in the second quarter and trailed by a mere seven, 28-21, at halftime.

"We were dreaming big," Rice coach David Bailiff said. "We were coming here to win the football game."

In case anyone has forgotten the reason Manziel was suspended for the first half - for violating an NCAA rule regarding signing autographs for profit, even if there was no evidence he himself profited - he reminded the Owls' defense on the seventh-ranked Aggies' second possession of the half by acting as if he were scribbling his name in the air.

That play turned out to be a 23-yard touchdown pass. Of the eight passes he threw, three went for touchdowns.

How can you help but love him as a college football player?

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Some, perhaps even the Owls, thought the sky writing was funny. The pass quickly became known on Twitter as a "signature play."

Sumlin didn't laugh when he heard about it.

"If I had seen it, I would have done something about it," Sumlin said. "If that did happen, I will address it."

You have to believe him. He was visibly upset with Manziel on the sideline after the quarterback was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting the Owls following his final touchdown pass with 9:48 remaining.

Manziel, after a verbal exchange with two Rice defenders, pointed at the scoreboard, which showed 52-28. No one among the Owls would talk about the incident, but, knowing them, the discussion might have included a question about whether the 52 referred to Manziel's IQ.

Suspensions aplenty

"No matter what the comments were, he's going to face that every week, with people chirping," Sumlin said. "Obviously, that (penalty) is not all right."

The Aggies didn't get the ball back until 2:09 remained. You might figure Sumlin decided against sending Manziel back out to avoid the risk of injury.

Asked if that were the case, Sumlin responded with a firm, "Nope."

He wanted everyone to know he benched Manziel.

A&M must be the most disciplined team in college football, meaning no coach has to discipline his players more than Sumlin.

Not including Manziel, two other players the Aggies are counting on this season were suspended recently for violating undisclosed team rules, one for the first half and the other for the game.

Within minutes of the kickoff, Texas A&M announced three starters and one reserve were suspended for two games for same as the above.

A freshman linebacker was ejected during Saturday's game for fighting. Cornerback Deshazor Everett, who had been suspended for the first half, also was ejected in the fourth quarter because officials ruled he targeted a defenseless receiver, Gary Kubiak's son Klein.

Sumlin challenged the call, but it was upheld upon review. Because of new sanctions for targeting, Everett also will miss the first half of next Saturday's game here against Sam Houston State.

In one ear, out the other

Of the four new suspensions before the game, Sumlin said, "We've got to grow as a team and mature as a team. Individual acts like that hurt your football team. We talk about that all the time."

They most recently talked about it Friday night. One of Manziel's conditions for returning from his suspension was he had to address his teammates about following rules.

Asked about Manziel's comments, Sumlin said the quarterback told them, "Actions may be things you think hurt just you, but they end up hurting the whole football team."

So what does Manziel do?

Cost his team a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Sumlin noted the action came "less than 24 hours since that conversation" with the team.

Manziel didn't speak to the media after the game. That was, according to an A&M spokesman, a joint decision among A&M officials.

You could look at it as the Aggies enabling Manziel to remain spoiled, not insisting he be held publicly accountable.

But who among the public would want the job of holding him accountable? It is, thankfully, up to Sumlin to apply the tough love.